


The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyways

by Exposedma



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Attraction at first sight, Au Ra don't do well in the cold, Crush at First Sight, F/M, First Meetings, I wouldn't call it love at first sight, Patch 2.4, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-31 22:49:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20247922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exposedma/pseuds/Exposedma
Summary: Shiloh and Alphinaud had been returned from Coerthas for about a week after meeting with the Lord Commander of the Temple Knights. Though Alphinaud was disappointed in the results of said meeting they were able to secure the continued supplies from house Fortemps in exchange for eyes and intelligence on any change from the Keeper of the lake. Shiloh absently rubbed her tail, memories of the cold on her scaled skin proffering phantom pains even still. Shiloh was not a fan of Coerthas, even if she was fond of its denizens, and a certain Lord Commander she had chanced to meet. He was handsome, and poised and not for Shiloh, that much was clear, well until she received a package from Ishgard. It's just diplomacy, and friendship, nothing more, so why can't she stop smiling?





	The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyways

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this scene in my head since Aymeric was first introduced to us way back in patch 2.4, 5+ years later I finally wrote it. I also HC that Au Ra scales play a part in temperature regulation, and that they don't do well in extreme cold. Aymeric sees a problem and he needs to fix it, so he does.

If ever there was somewhere Shiloh wished nerdowells would NOT run from her it was in Coerthas. The snow had soaked her boots, and was quickly doing the same to her socks and trousers. Her fingers gripped her staff, white knuckled, afraid that if she let go, her shivering would prevent her from lifting it back up again. She was slowing down, sluggish and just wanted to sit and rest, but instead willed another stone at the caravan thief, toppling him. The Fortemps knights were right behind her, and she let them look after the rest while her entire body shuddered from the cold. She looked around hoping Dexter was nearby as her teeth chattering prevented her from whistling. His ink blue feathers were stark against the fields of snow, and she made her way to him, giving him a pat, “back to Haurchefant, boy, I’m sure he’ll have more of those carrots you love.” and with that Dexter made all haste back to Camp Dragon head. 

Shiloh had managed to get onto Dexter’s back, but getting off again would prove to be a challenge, her limbs and extremities painful from the cold, her muscles bunched and tight, she just needed to get off and make her way to the hall, and the fire, it would be fine, she could do this. She swung her legs over, but when they hit the ground they gave out on her, an inelegant and panicked squeak leaving her lips. 

She never hit the ground, one strong arm around her waist, and the other under her arm, “easy, I’ve got you.” and it was that deep musical voice only now she felt it reverberate through his chest that was pressed to her back. Ser Aymeric, it seemed, was still at Camp Dragonhead. “Are you hurt?” Aymeric asked while steadying her at the elbow and gently helping her back to her feet. He gave her a cursory look, searching for a concealed injury.

“No, no, I’m fine, my heritage and the cold are entirely incompatible, and I’ve been out in the cold for too long.” Shiloh was acutely aware of Aymeric’s warmth, especially now that it was gone and her body responded by shivering harder, her teeth clacking. 

“By the Fury, let’s get you inside by the fire.” Aymeric gently led her by the arm into the great hall to a chair by the roaring fire. Aymeric unclipped his long over jacket and set it around Shiloh’s shoulders then knelt and rubbed her hands. The body heated warmth of his jacket was met with a sigh of relief, right before relief turned her fingers and toes to fire and she winced as circulation returned. Aymeric released her hands and slid off her boots and her socks, she tried to stop him, “I will not have the Warrior of Light lose a toe while I can help it,” He admonished her gently and lifted her bare feet onto a bench near the fire. Aymeric returned to his task of warming her hands, and it was once the pain had passed that she was struck by the scent that surrounded her. There was something of lavender mingled with the scent of metal and that something that made Aymeric unique and it was intoxicating. Shiloh tried not to smell his clothes lest he think her strange, but she couldn’t stop the centented hum that left her. “Better?” 

His chuckle was soft and warm and Shiloh couldn’t help but answer with her own before murmuring, “much”. 

“If you don’t mind my asking, what do you mean, your heritage? Are Au Ra sensitive to cold?” He paused, before continuing, “if the question is inappropriate, I apologize..”

Shiloh swallowed as Aymeric continued to rub warmth into her hands, “the scales,” Shiloh stopped his hand to indicate the ivory scales on them, “aide Au Ra in regulating our body heat, different though not entirely unlike that of a reptile, and extreme cold temperatures can have a negative effect on our bodies, such as lethargy or a higher risk of hypothermia for example. I imagine there are some Au Ra tribes who are better suited to these climes, but I am not one of them.” 

Aymeric held her hands in place while she spoke, running his elegant thumbs over the scales, “I see, is there nothing warmer you might wear for your sojourns to our lands?” Not a reprimand, but a question born of concern, as his voice was gentle, and his eyes troubled. 

  
  


Perhaps it was Shiloh’s short intake of breath when his thumbs swept across her scales or the embarrassed expression on her face that prompted Aymeric to let go, or perhaps his own sense of propriety catching up with him, but as quickly as he had been beside her sharing his warmth, he was he gone, standing a respectable distance away. Shiloh could swear the tips of his ears had gone pink, but mayhaps it was simply cold bitten skin. . 

“I...no...what I’m wearing is my warmest gear...It’s fine, I promise, once I get moving I warm right up, I just need to be careful not to stay out over long, I’m already feeling much better.” She gave him a small smile willing her chin to still to demonstrate she was sufficiently warm, though she made no move to return his coat. The fact was, that she was fine when she was fighting, heat of the battle was a saying for a reason, it was the after, when her sweat turned to ice on her skin and scales that she was made vulnerable, and judging by Aymeric’s skeptical look, he suspected as much himself. 

“Still, something warmer for next time.” Aymeric murmured more to himself before he smiled at her is such a way that quickend her slowed heart. Lucia arrived at the door a moment later indicating it was time to return to the city proper, and Shiloh, sorry to lose the warmth, and scent of Ser Aymeric’s borrowed coat, returned it with a shy smile before they said their farewells.

***

Next time, Shiloh wondered absently when next time might be as she sipped her tea in the Rising Stones. Yda disrupted the quiet murmur of the lounge when she barged in and loudly announced that Shiloh had a package. Said package was wrapped in blue paper and bore the Ishgardian sigil. 

“It came with the caravan from Coerthas.” Yda exclaimed excitedly, sitting opposite her, as curious about its contents as Shiloh was. “Who’s it from?”

Shiloh opened the package grabbing the carefully folded note atop the contents, “it’s from Ser Aymeric.” 

  
  
  


_ Dear Mistress Shiloh, _

_ I hope this package finds you well, I feel an apology is warranted for my behaviour upon our last meeting I did not mean to pry about our races differences, I was simply curious about something I did not know. Nor did I intend to criticize your choice in attire as I’m sure it has been perfectly suitable to your needs. It did occur to me that perhaps the rest of Eorzea is not in such need for cold weather gear as we Ishgardians are, and so access to appropriate cold weather clothing is limited. _

_ I pray you’ll forgive me my forwardness, and that the style, fit and colour are to your liking. All the items have been crafted by some of our finest artisans and made expressly to withstand the constant winter of Ishgard. I hope they will aide you in counteracting your natural aversion to the cold, as I am looking forward to our next meeting and would hate to be the source of your discomfort. _

_ I hope we might find some time to share a warm cup of tea and stories by the fire when next we meet, there is much I would ask you, and would delight in hearing first hand accounts of your many achievements, if you are amenable, of course. _

  
  


_ Yours in friendship, _

_ Aymeric de Borel _

_ Lord Commander of the Temple Knights _

  
  
  


The package contained a long a thick winter coat with intricate applique and embroidery in the style of vines and flowers, dark blue, a matching dark blue beret with a jaunty white puff on top. Black, lined, leather boots, and matching gloves, and a long knitted scarf of a complimentary royal blue, the same blue as Ser Aymeric’s own armor. 

“What a fine gift!” Minfillia exclaimed having emerged from her office, and noticed Yda and Tataru crowding around Shiloh and her parcel. 

The leather and suede was supple, and the lining soft and downy. “Too fine,” Shiloh breathed out, gently caressing the inside of the jacket.

“I think a certain Lord Commander might have a crush on our Warrior of light,” Yda’s sing song voice echoed too loudly as she wrapped the scarf around her neck. Shiloh heated at the thought.

“No, not a man like him, it says so right here, in friendship. Someone like him is surely already promised to another, he’s just being nice.” Shiloh denied the flop in her stomach, but Yda, mask and all, managed to give her a skeptical look, matched by both Minfilia and Tataru. “He’s just being diplomatic.” Minfilia arched an eyebrow, "stop it, even if I did think he was handsome, and kind, and you would too, because we all have eyes, it doesn't mean it's reciprocated."

"He sent you an entire outfit to wear so that you might be comfortable when you visit him, He likes you, Shiloh!" Yda laughed out as if it was the most obvious thing. 

"And he would have done the same for any of you who would have accompanied Alphi, I'm telling you, it's a gesture of good faith, and a diplomatic move and nothing more." Shiloh huffed out, grabbing at Yda and her new scarf. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you blush so hard, Shiloh, who are you trying to convince?” Tataru added, trying on the hat, smugness writ across her lalafellin face. 

“I’ve only just met him, it’s a kind and diplomatic gesture, stop reading into it.” Shiloh reiterated, now flustered and embarrassed grabbed the hat and scarf putting them back into the box and stood up. “Now I need to go do the kind and diplomatic thing in return and pen him a thank you note.” She stood and beelined to her room pointedly ignoring the kissing sounds Yda made after her. They were wrong. 

In the privacy of her room, Shiloh tried on every piece, they fit perfectly, and managed to cover every ilm of her scales, the jacket not so restricting that a tail hole would need to be added and yet fit close enough to the body as the keep the cold out. Shiloh nuzzled her face into the scarf hiding her own bush from her reflection in the mirror. He was just being nice, there was no way a man as poised and distinguished and handsome as him could be interested in her...Lord Commander, de Borel, he was probably a noble, out of her league, and she forced any thought that the gift might be something more out of her mind. Yda, and Tataru were being ridiculous. 

  
  


_ Dear Ser Aymeric, _

_ I never expected such a thoughtful and rich gift, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are right in your assumption, the gear I have is the best I could find and can fall short under particular circumstances found most uniquely in the Coerthas Highlands, no apology is needed, especially in the face of such a kind gesture. I am also well aware that encounters with my kind on this content are few and far between, curiosity is only natural. _

_ The style of the jacket is absolutely lovely, and the hat is adorable, the differing shades of blue are absolutely to my taste. I look forward to showing you how well it all fits when next I see you. Your generosity overwhelms me. _

_ I shall hold you to your word in sharing a quiet moment by the fire to share a drink and a story, I know such moments are as gold to those such as us and so I shall cherish whatever peace we may find in fellowship and friendship. _

_ I pray our next meeting finds us in the spirit of cooperation and joy rather than hardship, may Halone keep you safe in the meantime. _

_ Your most thankful friend, _

_ Shiloh Mitka _

  
  
  


She didn’t have to, but Shiloh added a sprig of lavender into her sealing wax before adding her seal, reasoning a flower isn’t perfume, therefore it’s just friendly. She spent the remainder of the day with a skip in her step and a smile on her lips. It certainly was not a crush though. 


End file.
